There. I'm going to finish this story really fast. Hopefully those of you who read it will have enjoyed it. This will, officially, be my shortest story. I'm expecting six, maybe seven, chapters in this.

BUT! I have every intention of creating "Depending on Her," which will be the same story, but from Sesshoumaru's POV.

Chapter Five: Freedom

"Fine." I finally say.

This is when I realize something. Prison has been the happiest time of my life. I was having problems before prison, and I was nearly friendless. Then I was put in prison for something retarded, and suddenly I have my best friend beside me all the time! Literally…

It's amazing how time flies by. It seems like only yesterday that my lawyer and I were having a meeting, and I was trying to defend myself from Kagura's mind-reading attacks. Now, I'm sitting in the courtroom. Every nerve in my body is tense, and I don't think I'll be able to move for days – no matter the verdict. Good thing I didn't eat breakfast. I could almost guarantee you that, if I did, that it'd be coming back out.

It's been over two years that I've been in jail. Kagura ended up getting out. The people who were charging her against Naraku stopped. I still smile inwardly at why. They had to discover why Naraku made her in the first place. So, they found out Naraku was in a gang. After trying to justify this for a few months, they gave up and she went free.

She still visits me, you know. She sends me the same necessities that Kanna sent me. I think it's nice, but I constantly tell her to stop. I don't know how I'll ever pay her back. She keeps saying "You don't pay people back for gifts."But they aren't gifts. They're donations, and I feel like the charity.

I look down at my lap as the jury files back in and sits in their seats. My hands are clenched tightly around the cloth of my shirt. So tightly, in fact, that my knuckles have started turning white. I see Sesshoumaru moving, out of the corner of my eye, but I don't look to see what he's doing. Then his hand grasps mine and he grasps it gently so I will relax.

"Relax, you'll be fine." He whispers in my ear. I nod slowly then he straitens up. Someone in the jury nods, then the judge looks directly at me. I can't help but think that the juror was making motions for me being guilty.

"Will the defendant please rise?" He asks. I stand up, as does Sesshoumaru. I close my eyes, as if it will help my nerves vanish. No help, now I can't see what I'm already dreading to hear.

"We the jury…" Time seems to freeze for a moment. They don't know how much they're controlling my future. No one understands how alarming this is for me right now. My stomach tightens in several more knots as I clench on my shirt once again. Sesshoumaru is trying to remain professional, so he won't reach for my hand. Not that I mind. We may have gotten close over time, but I know when it's not right to be touched by him.

My eyes slowly open, time still seeming to stand still. I look around. The few people that I know are sitting behind me. Sango is somewhere back there, chanting me on. She knows I'm innocent and that I wouldn't have hurt Hojo. Sure, he got annoying at times, but who doesn't?

Somewhere next to her, her boyfriend is probably sitting. Miroku's his name, I think. She always jokes about how perverted he is and how much he gropes her. All the same, I know she loves him a lot. I can swear to anyone right now that he's probably groping her. Sure enough, a slap comes from behind me as I am snapped back into reality and time starts to function once more.

"… find the defendant…" They pause again. I hate this. They must know that my heart will only start beating if they say I'm innocent. They must know that I'm holding my breath for the answer. They're probably trying not to laugh as my heart slows by the second.

They're going to say I'm guilty. I know it. The justice system isn't fair to those who are innocent, and is overly fair to those who aren't. I'm going to spend my life in jail, my mind shouts to me. Inwardly, I know that it's not right to be held in bondage for something I didn't do. But when they pause like this, that's the only thing I can imagine happening.

"Not guilty." The man finally says. I let out a large breath of air then take in as much air as my lungs can hold. It feels wonderful to know that I'm not going to be punished for something that wasn't my fault. I turn around. Not only are Sango and Miroku there, but right next to them are my friend and her sister. Kagura had even brought Kanna to this because she was so happy over my trial coming to a close.

I look to my side, seeing Sesshoumaru there. I smile widely, and he smiles too. Our relationship has become very… affectionate. We both told each other that we had feelings for the other, but we haven't been able to express it through our actions. It'd be all wrong to make out in front of the judge, or to hug my lawyer during visitation.

Sesshoumaru had told me, at the time, that he wasn't one to show his emotions. There's not a part of me that doubts that. He says what he thinks needs to be said. That's all. I reach forward and hug Sesshoumaru's waist tightly. Both of us are startled, since neither of us saw it coming. I didn't think twice about it before I hugged him.

"Thank you…" I say quietly. Sesshoumaru's hands slowly wrap around my back as he hugs me gently.

"I was only doing my job." He says. I look at him, a sly smile on my face.

"Then, is it your job to make all your female clients fall in love with you?" I ask quietly. He shakes his head then kisses my forehead.

"No. It's my job to get you out, if I can. That's what you were thanking me for." He says. I shake my head then rest it against him.

"I was also thanking you for being there. I don't think there's a better lawyer than you." I say quietly. Sesshoumaru kneels down slightly, since he's quite a bit taller than me, and kisses my lips.

"I want to make a date with you. Perhaps we can get to know each other like normal people do." He offers. I smile even wider then nod.

"That sounds like a wonderful offer." I tell him softly. He lets me go then motions to my friends, who are eagerly waiting for me. I walk over to them, my smile never fading.

"I'm so happy you're out, Kagome!" Sango says. I smile then nod, hugging her. She, then, rests against Miroku's chest. Suddenly her face turns red and she slaps him.

"Pervert!" She shouts. Everyone who was talking in the court room suddenly got quiet and looked at them.

"What? There is no problem with making there are no tumors!" He claimed innocently.

"I'm not getting cancer tumors on my ass, Miroku!" She snaps. Miroku sighs then touches her butt once more. Sango slaps the other side of his face, and I see a ring on her right hand.

"Where'd you get the ring?" I ask. Sango's face turns red as she looks away.

"We should celebrate your freedom." She says innocently.

"Not until I get real clothes and you tell me why there's a ring on your finger!" I snap. Sango lets out a deep sigh then looks back at Miroku.

"Miroku proposed to me a few weeks ago and I said yes…" She whispers. I smile widely then hug her.

"I'm so happy for you… At least one of us got a good man." I say.

"What's wrong with Sesshoumaru?" Kagura and Sango ask in unison. I sigh then look down.

"There's nothing wrong with him. I just… I feel like I hardly know him because we… Just because we had to create our relationship around the rules of the lawyer-client relationship, I feel like it's not a real relationship…" I say in an upset tone.

"He… You make it sound like you're never going to see him again." Kagura says slowly. I shake my head before glancing at him. He's leaving through the doors, probably to go home.

"I will. We're going to go on real dates and try to get to know each other like normal people… As if I'm normal." I say sadly. Sango hugs me reassuringly then returns to her fiancé.

"He loves you… I can tell… He's just afraid of voicing his feelings…" Kanna says, her voice hardly above a whisper. Kagura has told me a lot of her sister, and the thing I heard the most was how much Kanna rarely talked.

"How can you be sure, Kanna?" Kagura questions for me. She must know how shy I am about this subject. I mean, she was the only one who knew I even liked Sesshoumaru until Sango and Miroku started visiting me in jail…

Rather than answer, Kanna just looked up at Kagura. Kagura understood some silent conversation between them then looked to me.

"She has powers. Naraku made her and gave her a magical mirror. She can see certain things about people with or without it… And she can see that about him." Kagura says. I nod then Sango grasps my hand tightly.

"Come on! I'm taking you for a freedom celebration! I still have a lot of your clothes from when you lived with me." Sango says. I nod my head slowly before looking at Kagura.

"Can they come?" I ask curiously. Sango stares at me then at Kagura. Kagura doesn't seem very nervous about whether or not she's going to come. That surprises me.

"Why wouldn't she? We had quite a talk before the trial, Kanna even said a few things… but I don't see why I wouldn't want to bring her." She says happily. I smile then hug Kagura.

"Kagura, we'll go to the Seaside Hut… You know where that is, right?" Sango asks. Kagura nods then looks down at her little sister.

"How about in an hour, we'll be there?" She asked and Sango nodded. They left then Sango turned to me.

"Miroku has just volunteered to drive us back home so I can re-teach you how to dress." She says, smiling like there's no tomorrow. It's actually beginning to intimidate me.

"I did?" Miroku asks. Sango looks back at him and attempts to elbow him discreetly.

"Yes, remember!" Sango asks him, still attempting to be discreet. I am sure she has to know that her attempts are failing horribly.

"Oh… Yah… I remember now." He says slowly. I smile then Sango practically drags me out to the car.

Oooh! I got another idea! I think this may turn out to have a few more chapters, if my idea is good enough. Hope ya'lls like it!

Please review. PLEASE. I have no life and no friends, so I live off of reviews…

- Bipolar Tangerine